Masasa Mbangeni

“If I’ve forgotten my heart’s song, they’ve always sung it back to me”

“As a child I felt too scared to exist in this world and the drama and acting gave me chance to go, I might be too scared, but this character might not be. So let me live it out through them”

“She’s taught me that I lose nothing by holding space for a younger actor”

“People have let you into their homes, to be a part of their families every day. So it shows an appreciation for your work and for your gift”

“The joy that I feel when I’m on stage, I can’t explain it to anyone. It feels like that first breath of a child. It’s sore and it’s uncomfortable but it’s a sign of life”

“My profession is incredibly cut-throat and incredibly hard. It requires a resilience that, had I not been in the MRF programme, I don’t think I would have been able to endure. My residency helped me grapple with my own shadow: sides of me that I did not realise were not cute”